3 children on 5'2" frame at 100lb did a number on my stomach. Weight gain of 140lb back down to 129lb wasn't helping the problem. I decided to go for the consult in Feb 2021. I'm happy to say I'm scheduled or April 2021. Before and after pictures. Now at 125lb
I have always had large breasts. Sure they were great in my twenties as time goes on they got larger from weight gain and with that lots of strain on my neck, back and shoulders. Also when I get my mammogram it's always difficult to read s my breasts are dense. I decided to look into a BR. I wanted to be realistic and knew this would be a difficult procedure. Why? I had a breast lift 15 years ago with lots of scar tissue. I did some research and wanted a women ps in Exeter NH. I scheduled my appointment. Dr. Marble was very thorough, kind and caring. She asked that I get my old records so that she could see what she's working with. I'm 5'2, 137 with double dd's. I'm petite and always thought they were too big, she thought the same. She told me she would take pictures and submit to my insurance company. We discussed what size I am hoping to be. I told her an a. Keeping my fingers crossed! In my research, I reached out to two of her previous patients who shared with me their results and how happy they were. Beforehand, approximately 1 week I stopped caffeinated drinks, wine, anything fried. You'll be given instructions for post surgical. I really can't stress enough to follow those instructions. Day of: get there nice and early. Feeling refreshed and ready to go. Given a nice cocktail to ease the anxiety. Met with the anesthesiologist. My husband sat with me and joked and he made me laugh. Enter dr. Marble, she marks up my breast and asks again what size I want to be, both me and my husband say a. Sleepy time! I'm out, excited to look at my breasts. I go home with instructions which include taking vitamin c twice a day for healing. 4 days later I go in for check up. Looking good! 2 weeks later go in for visit, left breast not healing quite as fast as the right breast. Feeling hopeful. To speed up the process I am applying xeroform dressing and heat instructed by dr. Marble. 1 month later still applying the dressing. Healing slowly but looks good. 3 months later no more dressings. Massaging every day and applying heat. All healed up. Massage with Mederma also using aromas silicone sheet for scars. All in all, I am super happy with my results. I sill can't wear underwear bras but to be honest I don want to. My back, neck, and shoulders are so relieved. Having fun with bralette tops. Updated on 27 Feb 2020: If I didn’t clarify it and mention this, Dr. Marbles office is very welcoming. The staff is super kind and knowledgeable. My follow-up appointments were so welcoming and caring. Whenever I had questions I didn’t feel silly asking and my nurses and Dr. had the answers. All in all great bed side manners. Blessed to find a great Dr and team!!
I'm sooo grateful and thankful you have changed my life Thank you for being you I appreciate YOU I love the outcome of my panniculetomy your care was amazing your staff are amazing love Denise she is wonderful <3 HUGE THANK YOU
My reduction was performed by Dr. Marble and the results were/are amazing. Scaring was minimal from the beginning and has only improved over time. Couldn't be happier. Dr. Marble was top-notch from consult to aftercare!
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Marble years ago from a friend that had a breast augmentations with her and was so pleased with her results and Dr Marble, so I set up a consult for a breast reduction and immediately liked Dr Marble , she took the time to explain everything to me I had the surgery at Exeter Hospital in Nh and spent one night , I had no complications and was very happy with my results, so when I lost 130 lbs I decided I wanted to have a panniculectomy she was the first one I thought of , I had a consultation with her again and she explained the procedure and showed me some pics of her patients that she had done , I had expressed my concern of going under anesthesia and my sensitivity to pain medications I even had to consult with the anesthesiologist regarding my concern I was very worried about going under Anesthesia ...October 2, 2017 I went in for my panniculectomy everything went smooth with the surgery I think it took her like two hours I woke up from Anesthesia pretty quickly and actually felt really good considering I just had major abdominal surgery they had a very Low amount of morphine going into a pump for me and I told them that I wanted to get off of that and I would just like a 2 1/2 mg Percocet for my pain so they gave it to me within 20 minutes I started feeling the pain go away and then suddenly started feeling tingling sensation throughout my whole body and a wave come up my body from my toes to my head and my head drifting away . I passed out ! I woke up to a room full of nurses and doctors all around me taking my blood pressure and my vital signs I guess that the whole combination of Anesthesia , morphine and Percocets and the fluctuation of all the blood that gets moved around was like a perfect storm where I passed out from too much pain meds and they had to Narcan me ..I woke up with my blood pressure very low my heart rate was really low and my hemoglobin is really low they had to give me lots of fluids and two units of blood I had to spend an extra night in the hospital but I have to say they Dr Marble and Denise were amazing and all the nurses , LNA’s and the staff at Exeter Hospital were so caring and took great care of me. I am so thankful for the team of Drs and Nurses I had otherwise who knows how this would of turned out ! I would highly recommend Dr Kimberly Marble
This is my story and tips for preparing for breast reduction surgery and recovery. You should follow your doctors orders. I have always been big busted, I was wearing a 38DD when I had my surgery on 12/5. I may have been bigger than that but I am not sure as I was not professionally fitted for a bra for a long time. I am 48, 5’3” 180lbs, I gained weight over the last few years due to back pain regardless of how much I exercised my boobs did not go down much. I have 2 adult children which I breastfed when they were little. I had always thought about doing the surgery but never considered myself a candidate for it as I didn’t feel I was THAT big and I didn’t have the debilitating symptoms as reported on this site. My mother was a med/surg nurse and always told me not to do it so I never pursued it. A few months ago I was at the gym and the instructor said jumping jacks were up next, I made a sound of dismay and my gym partner said I should consider a reduction. She had one a few months before and loved the results. I mentioned it to my mom and she said I should go for it. Not sure when she had a change of heart but it would have been nice if she told me! LOL I made an appointment with a PS. I should mention that I know 5 women that have used the same PS and have been very happy with their results. It was a pretty quick appointment she took pictures and measurements, showed me some photos of reductions she had done, answered my questions and submitted my request to the insurance. My insurance took about 2 weeks to approve it and my surgery was scheduled for about 6 weeks later. It all happened pretty quickly and before I knew it my surgery date was here. While waiting for the surgery date to arrive I experienced a wide range of emotions. Excitement, fear, hope, worry, and then the doubts started…am I doing the right thing? As I said earlier I didn’t feel I was THAT big and on certain days I really liked my breasts and the attention they got. However, as I aged they weren’t as perky as they used to be and were often getting in my way. I did have back pain, headaches, rashes under my breasts, difficulty exercising and finding clothes to fit properly, plus some emotional damage from the constant comments about my breasts, from men and women. I read countless stories on Realself most were positive but the negative ones are the ones that stick in your mind. Unfortunately, there will be cases that don’t turn out so well. As with anything I can assure you there will be a case where something goes wrong, it could be with your surgery. If you read the warning labels on aspirin bottles you probably wouldn’t take that again either. You have to know that going into as with the human body everyone is different, doctors are different etc. BUT the odds are in your favor that everything will turn out as expected and if you do your research and find a good doctor/hospital there is a 97-98% chance everything will be great. Adding to my doubt was my husband. He wasn’t super supportive, he liked my breasts the way they were but said it was my decision. Two days before my surgery he said he didn’t want me to do it because he didn’t want me to be cut up and in pain. We talked about it and agreed to go ahead with the surgery. I started practicing sleeping on my back as I am a stomach sleeper before the surgery. I followed the 5 pillow rule. Two under my head/back, one under my legs, one under each arm. Another thing I started doing was practicing getting up out of bed without using my arms. If possible get some core exercises in, you really need to strengthen your abdominal muscles. List of supplies: These are suggestions you may or may not need/want them • Hibiclens-to be used the night before and the morning of your surgery. You are to wash with it from the neck down, it really helps cut down on infection. • 4x4 bandages you will need several as you heal • 5x7 bandages these will go over the 4x4 • Paper tape to help hold bandages in place • Scissors to cut bandages as needed • Wooden tongue dispensers to apply the Bacitracin/Neosporin to your incisions • Bacitracin/Neosporin to help with infection • Arnica to help with bruising (tastes awful) • Heating pad to help with getting blood flow to your chest • Ice packs-ice to help with swelling • Vitamin C 500mg to help with healing • Vitamin E oil for scarring • Vitamin B to help nerves regenerate • Stool softener to use as the pain meds cause constipation • Baby wipes to clean yourself up when you can’t shower • Mederma for scarring • Hydrogen peroxide for cleaning drainage tube site • 5 pillows (or 4 and one under knee/leg booster) • Neck pillow to help support your neck if sleeping in a recliner • Tyelnol for pain • Motrin-for every 200mg you take you have to wait 2 hours to take more, do not take more than 800mg at a time and then wait 8 hours before you take more. • Front closing bras • Button down shirts The day before surgery I scheduled a massage and facial with my daughter to help me relax. The day of my surgery I was really calm, got up and showered arrived at hospital as instructed my husband and adult daughter accompanied me. It was snowing out so we left early I didn’t want to have to worry about being late. Went through registration then to pre-op. The hospital gave my family a card with my ID on it and they could watch the TV monitor to know where I was when I wasn’t with them. I think it gave them comfort. Started my IV, met with my PS and the anesthesiologist. They gave me something for nausea and to calm my nerves, that’s the last thing I remember. Surgery took about 2 hours, they completed an anchor incision on me. I woke up in recovery with about a level 4 pain. They gave me fentanyl and then took me to my room. I kept the fentanyl IV drip for a few hours and as night approached they switched me to percaset so I didn’t have to keep pushing the pain button every 10-15 mins. They brought me a clear diet of chicken broth, jello, shaved ice and water, it tasted great after not eating all day. I did have a breathing tube during surgery which gave me a sore throat, that only last about 2 days. Later they made me a sandwich and some soup. I had a private room and was the only patient on the floor if you can believe that. The nurse said my breasts were cute but they weren’t sure of the exact size yet. They apparently have to wait for the pathologist results before they can tell you exactly how much they removed etc. They got me up walking around a few hours after surgery, I had to be accompanied to the bathroom for safety reasons. My breasts were hard and swollen. They also gave me 3 shots in my stomach of a blood thinner to prevent any clots, the shots did not hurt at all. I also had compression socks on which I really liked. They woke me up every 4 hours to check on me and give me pain meds/ice for my chest. I was discharged the next day after seeing the physician assistant gave me the all clear to go home. They gave us instructions for home care and we left. I was advised no caffeine, alcohol or smoking until further notice and to expect it to last for at least a month before I could have it again. Thankfully I am not a smoker or heavy drinker, the caffeine wasn’t easy to hear. I took a pillow for the ride home but I wasn’t in much pain with the exception of my right drain it was bothersome. We stopped and got my prescriptions filled (drive thru pharmacy). I had my daughter empty my drains and change my bandages twice a day. We were told to keep a log of the output, stating which breast, the amount, the time and the contents of the fluid (blood, pus etc.) I only took 2 pain pills once I got home and then switched over to Motrin/Tylenol alternatively. I didn’t like randomly falling asleep. It seemed like I was wide awake one minute and 30 minutes later I was waking up from a nap. I had my follow up appointment with the PS on Thursday (Day 3) after the surgery. She removed my tubes. I was really worried about having them removed after reading some posts on here but it was quick and relatively painless. I wanted to take a percaset prior to my appointment but since I drove myself I couldn’t. The PS took my tape off and changed my bandages, said everything looked good and sent me back home. I had been getting up every hour and walking around. They also gave me a breathing tube thing which you need to do once an hour when you are awake to prevent pneumonia. I bruised pretty good the first attempt at the IV failed (I have little veins which I told them about but apparently they didn’t believe me). Day 4 I was allowed to shower. I suggest contacting a local hair stylist to set up appointments or arrangements to have your hair shampooed while you are waiting to shower. It makes a world of difference. My daughter is a hair dresser so I lucked out. At home care-I am taking arnica (which tastes awful by the way) and vitamin C tablets twice a day. I haven’t taken any Tylenol or Motrin today. I had a headache for a couple of days after the surgery and was taking the meds more to get rid of that than the pain. I did purchase some button down tops however I have been able to get into my pullover tops no problem. I also purchased some front closing bras in advance but the hospital gave me 2 bras and breast binders plus an ace bandage that you will be wearing for about a month. Having two is good so you can wash one while you are wearing one. I currently cannot feel my nipples, but that doesn’t bother me at all as I can’t stand to have them touched so if I lost the feeling forever I would be fine with it. I think having them bound up has also desensitized them. I am planning to return to work on Monday as I work at home (desk job) for the most part. My boss is being very accommodating. I have my next follow up appointment on Monday which will be exactly 1 week from my surgery. I’ll keep you all posted. I was told it would be about a full year before my breasts finally settle into their final form, so be patient. Updated on 13 Dec 2016: I had my stitches removed yesterday, it pulled a bit but wasn't as bad as I feared. I started back to work yesterday as well. I am now using a heating pad (no more icing) two times a day for 10 mins to help get blood to the area. I am still pretty numb which I am fine with but they said feeling will return. Next appointment is in two weeks. Updated on 13 Dec 2016: Sorry I forgot to add this update. On day 3 after surgery I had my drains removed. What a RELIEF!. My right drain was bothering me from the get go so having that taken out was a delight! Having the drains removed wasn't bad. They did it in the office, I wanted to take a pain killer prior but my husband is a police officer and at the last minute was unable to take me to my appointment so no pain killers for me since I had to drive myself. I laid down on the table and was advised to take a deep breath when she told me to and poof they were out. Do not wear light colored clothing to this as there was a bit of bleeding. But the instant relief after was so worth it. She also removed my tape on the incisions, advised to keep icing and using the bacitracin. Updated on 17 Dec 2016: I had to remind myself of this earlier as I was looking on the mirror and realized they are not perfectly matched but that's okay! Updated on 18 Dec 2016: Tomorrow will be my 2 week post op. I'm feeling good. I have to keep remote ding myself not to do things, like lifting, reaching too far etc. I have Christmas cookies to make today! Still sleeping fine on my back. I will post more pics later. My before pics I can't get off my phone for some reason, I'll keep trying. I am able to change my bandages myself now. I got sick of having to ask/wait on my daughter or husband to help. I don't like asking for help. I have always done things on my own so this was hard for me. I changed a cat pan yesterday and then told my husband he had to take out the trash bag because I can't lift it, he wasn't happy as he doesn't like my cats. Oh well married life is full of gives/takes. Cats stay. Updated on 18 Dec 2016: So I called the doctor worried about the redness. She told me that it isn't infected but I am a bruiser, which I knew. I still have a large bruise from the first IV attempt. She told me to let them air out several times a day as long as I remain seated in a reclining position. The redness has gone down and I'm enjoying the freedom from my bindings. Ahh the little things. Updated on 23 Dec 2016: I still can't get my before pics off my phone. So I found a similar picture on here so you can use it as reference for before/afters. Updated on 26 Dec 2016: I'm feeling great, I have my 3 week check up tomorrow. Updated on 27 Dec 2016: All is well. Dr is very happy with my progress and I got the okay to stop wearing the bindings Hallelujah! Freedom! My next appointment is in 6 weeks. The follow up appointments are really quick, today she started massaging and said I am to do that twice a day plus start using the scar reducing cream. I am still to use the heating pad as well. Happy Lady. Updated on 12 Jan 2017: At my 3week PO appt I was advised to start massaging my breasts twice a day. I did had one large hard spot on my right breast but that is gone now. They are really softening up. I can't wait to start exercising again. I was told I have to wait until 9 weeks to start fully back,
I am currently 3.5 weeks post-op from my breast reduction. I'm in my mid 40s and prior to having 2 kids, was a 34D/DD. But after 2 kids, I measured a 34K and lived with that for a decade. I considered a BR for seven years but I kept losing my nerve, kept thinking I was being vain, that I should lose weight instead, etc. Eventually, I developed acute spinal pain (MRIs, PT, etc), which limited my ability to exercise and that was my wake up call. My goal for my BR was to be able to exercise and live without pain and discomfort. This was my 1st surgery ever and though I had some complications from the anesthesia, I'm VERY happy with the results of the reduction. The procedure was a standard pedicle method with an anchor incision pattern. I never lost sensation in my nipples though there are parts of my breasts that are still numb. She performed a significant breast lift as well. My breasts are as high and perky as they were in high school. I got measured for a bra last week (Week 2 post-op) and currently fit in a 36C in a sports bra though I am mostly wearing my surgical bra and the spare surgical bras I bought on Amazon. Why? Because one of my incisions has not entirely healed and the surgical bras sit lower on my chest wall, allowing the scabs to heal without friction. I have kept a journal during my recovery on an online blog and plan to publish it soon. Right now, my focus is on resting and following my physician's orders but I will say right now, 3.5 weeks post-op, that I have minimal swelling, zero pain and the scars look good. Regarding the cost: I'm in the Northeast in a major metro area and the hospital I went to was absurdly expensive so my costs are not typical. But my procedure was deemed medically necessary and my medical insurance covered all but my deductible of $2K. Overall, this was hands down the best gift I've ever given myself. If you are considering a BR, ask around - you may be surprised how many of us are out there. Women who've had this procedure are the best source of information about it. Last tip: Don't be discouraged if some of your friends and family are not encouraging about this procedure. I encountered a distinct lack of support from some people who I thought would understand my motivations. I realized that their reluctance had nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to do with me, my breasts, and my life living with huge breasts. It had to do with their body image, their feelings about surgery and their own breasts. Only after the procedure, when they saw me and realized that I had chosen small breasts (from a K to a B) that I had done the BR for medical and comfort reasons, not for reasons of vanity. So take heart, it's your body. Listen to yourself, not others.
I had Gastric Bypass in 2003 at the age of 23. I lost over 120 lbs or so. I was left with a lot of loose skin but by the time I was able to get the skin removed I had lost my insurance. So I waited. And soon life became too hectic to even think about getting it done. I was already a mom of toddler twins and after the surgery I fell in love with the man who is now my husband. I gave birth to our son in 2012. Because of the fact that I simply can't relax I gave myself a hernia along the c-section scar line. I discovered it a year later. But again, insurance was an issue so I put it off. It progressively became larger and affected how I moved each day. I had lost all of my baby weight through diet and exercise but the hernia kept me from continuing the active lifestyle. I gained about ten lbs back. Finally with insurance I contacted my PCP about hernia repair. And I brought up the possibility of having the excess skin removed at the same time. The combo procedure is fairly common. So I was referred to two drs at Exeter Hospital. My PS was to be Kimberly Marble and my hernia surgeon was Dr. Leefmans. Both were very wonderful. Dr. Marble's office and her staff went above and beyond for me. After my insurance initially denied my panni they helped me appeal and win. The entire staff is friendly, sweet, funny and makes you feel very comfortable. I went in for surgery June 9th 2014 and spent one night in the hospital recovering. The recovery has been harder than I expected. I'm sore and swollen most of the time. When I was sent home I was instructed to wear two binders and place a towel under them for additional compression. This proved to be difficult for me. It was hard to move and I felt super uncomfortable constantly. I also had three drains coming out near my lady bits. Those were terrible to deal with. Made it hard to move, but a necessary evil. I had lots of help at home between my teen twin daughters and my husband who took a week off to help me. My toddler was tough. He didn't quite understand why he couldn't jump on mommy anymore, but he's doing much better now. I'll be three weeks post op on Monday (in three days). I'm still sore, am down to one binder and I swell easily when I push myself too far. Very much looking forward to this fall when I am looking/feeling better. Updated on 4 Jul 2014: The swelling is still prominent and of course all around my scar line is numb. But overall things seem to be healing rather well. I no longer have to wear the binder but am required to wear Spanx/Flexees all the time to hold everything in and add compression. I'm done with all medication and am able to drive and move around fairly well now. I still get really tired easily, too. One thing I've noticed is that if I overdo it I'll feel some discomfort where my hernia was repaired. That's when I know to stop what I'm doing and go lay down with an ice pack. I'm pretty happy with the way things look. The only exception being that my belly button is definitely off-center. But from what I read that is a possibility during pannis. Besides, I'm not too concerned. It's a small price to pay for getting rid of the extra skin I've been hanging on to for so long. At 3 weeks post-op I went on my first big outing. My younger sister and I went to see Fall Out Boy and Paramore on their Monumentour in NH. We paid extra for club seating so I could sit the entire time and have waitstaff bring me what I wanted. We also paid extra for premium parking so I didn't have to walk too far. Best money I've ever spent! I was able to enjoy the show without much discomfort. I did swell quite a bit by the end of the night, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting. I did allow myself three Angry Orchard ciders, which might have been overkill but man were they wonderful! Now, my next follow up appointment with Dr. Marble is on the 15th of July. Hopefully she'll tell me that everything is going swimmingly and that the rest will get easier. :) I really need to ask her when I can have sex again, though, because I'm truly longing for some nookie! Haha. Thank you guys for the encouragement you've given me so far. It's really wonderful to be able to get feedback and hear from those going through similar journeys. Much love to you all.
Since my obgyn was going to have to make a a big incision for my hysterectomy, I decided to see if I could do a TT at the same time. I've lost 100+ lbs and am ready for this extra to be GONE. I've had 4 abdominal surgeries over the past 6 years, so I am not very nervous as I have been down this road before. However, due to the previous surgeries, I've been warned that it is very likely that I will lose my belly button in the process. I've already started thinking about how I will deal with that - piercing, tattoo or something. I am so appreciative that my PS and obgyn were happy to coordinate to allow me a single procedure. They are both located in the same hospital and I've been told this is how it will go: PS will come in and make incision OB will then take over and do hysto PS will come in and do TT and close me upUpdated on 17 Apr 2013:Spent 2 nights in the hospital as I was still feeling faint when I walked yesterday. I live alone and the last thing I needed was to pass out with no one here to help! I did, as expected, lose my belly button as apparently the one I had was sort of a fake done (quite impressively) by my previous surgeon. Pain is much better. I find only the getting up and down really bothers me though the ends of the incision sting. I have a follow up appt. tomorrow and am hoping 2 of the 4 drains will come out. I want to wash my hair!!! My appetite is also returning. Oh, and I love my PS even more now. She's a doll and funny! I did forget to ask how much the removed skin weighed - I'm dying to know!Updated on 18 Apr 2013:First follow up was today. Still have all 4 drains - boo! But I go back Monday and they're hopeful a couple of them may come out then. Pain is quite manageable. The left end of my incision is a little painful but I think it's just super sensitive. I washed my hair in the kitchen sink this morning - feels much better. After my appointment today I was able to stop for a little lunch (key: little!) with my friend that was driving me. Came home tired. The "weepies" started today. I am hoping it's just my body's hormone levels all off. I have had a few surgeries previously and know the body can respond in odd ways. Usually I end up starting my period a few days after surgery and since I no longer have a uterus, perhaps this is the equivalent. Overall, so far so good!Updated on 19 Apr 2013:PCP's office called to check on me this morning - very nice. This afternoon the PS office called for a status check on my drains. They asked if I wanted to come in, which I did and was able to have one of the 4 removed! Yay! I will go back Monday morning and hopefully lose another. I love leaving the dr's office all nice and tightly wrapped up. The MA and ARNP I've seen for follow ups have been wonderful. I'm very happy with the PS I chose.Updated on 20 Apr 2013:I pooped! Hooray! (Day 5 Post-op)Updated on 5 May 2013:So far things have been going well. I had my drains and stitches removed at my 2 week appointment on April 29th. Being drain free meant SHOWERS! Yay! I will be 3 weeks Post tomorrow and overall I feel pretty good and then I end up overdoing it and am exhausted. I have to remind myself that my body endured LOTS of cutting. Parts were removed! As one of the nurses in the hospital told me, the procedure was "very vascular" since I had the combo (TT & hysto). A little itchy with the healing and I am eager for the swelling to go down! So far my post-op appointments have been with the ARNP and I see the surgeon on Tuesday. She was just back from vaca last week so I didn't feel it was necessary to go in again to see her after I'd just seen the nurse. More details to come....Updated on 5 May 2013:Oh! Also - I was told that the skin that was removed weighed 20lbs! Holy crap! But as you can see from my before photos, there was lots there left over from losing 100+lbs. Amazing.
Nice people, but wouldn’t recommend, had breast reduction, not happy with results at all. Left fat underneath arms, never had that before. Right breast looks bad. I was told they would try to fix it for additional cost, but I didn’t want any more done. Now I have to get it corrected which is not cheap. Hate to give a bad review but have to be honest.
